Contributor(s): Professor J. McKenzie Alexander, Dr Ilka Gleibs, Professor Alan Manning | Across the world, populist agendas on both the left and right threaten to undermine fundamental principles that underpin liberal democracies, so that what were previously seen as virtues of the ‘Open Society’ are now, by many people, seen as vices, dangers, or threats. As global citizens, we are implicated by a range of contemporary social questions informed by the Open Society; from the free movement of people

Contributor(s): Tembeka Ngcukaitobi | The lecture will explore South Africa's complex relationship with the idea of human rights.Drawing from the struggle to end apartheid, the lecture will explore the connections between the struggle for human rights and the idea of self-determination. While both ideas are local, the lecture will show that they are also global. South Africa remains a feature of the global world order, trying, as one of its most talented sons, Steve Bantu Biko once said "to give

Drawing from the struggle to end apartheid, the lecture will explore the connections between the struggle for human rights and the idea of self-determination. While both ideas are local, the lecture will show that they are also global.

Contributor(s): Reid Hoffman | Artificial Intelligence is not only a generational technology, but also a general purpose technology—one that has outsized potential to transform societies and economies globally. How should we use AI to not only better understand the world, but organise, develop, and elevate it?

Contributor(s): Professor Adam Oliver | In his inaugural lecture, Adam Oliver will describe how he became involved in, and has helped contribute towards the development of, the still relatively new field of behavioural public policy (BPP). He will briefly detail how the intellectual architecture of the field – i.e. its journal, Annual International Conference and Association – came into existence, and allude to his hopes for how BPP might develop in the future. Namely, that more liberal,

Artificial Intelligence is not only a generational technology, but also a general purpose technology—one that has outsized potential to transform societies and economies globally.

In his inaugural lecture, Adam Oliver will describe how he became involved in, and has helped contribute towards the development of, the still relatively new field of behavioural public policy (BPP).

Contributor(s): Professor Mirca Madianou | In this talk based on her new book, Mirca Madianou will argue that digital innovations such as biometrics and chatbots engender new forms of violence and entrench power asymmetries between the global south and north. Drawing on ten years of research on the uses of digital technologies in humanitarian operations, Madianou will unearth the colonial power relations which shape ‘technology for good’ initiatives. The notion of technocolonialism captures how the

In this talk based on her new book, Mirca Madianou will argue that digital innovations such as biometrics and chatbots engender new forms of violence and entrench power asymmetries between the global south and north.

Conversations around AI tend to focus on the future dangers, but what about the damage AI is inflicting on people right now?

Contributor(s): Professor Jonathan Birch | Can octopuses feel pain and pleasure? What about crabs, shrimps, insects or spiders? How do we tell whether a person unresponsive after severe brain injury might be suffering? When does a fetus in the womb start to have conscious experiences? Could there even be rudimentary feelings in miniature models of the human brain, grown from human stem cells? And what about AI? These are questions about the "edge of sentience", and they are subject to enormous,

Birch's new book, The Edge of Sentience: Risk and Precaution in Humans, Other Animals, and AI, constructs a precautionary framework designed to help us reach ethically sound, evidence-based decisions despite our uncertainty.

Across the world, populist agendas on both the left and right threaten to undermine fundamental principles that underpin liberal democracies, what were previously seen as virtues of the ‘Open Society’ are now, seen as vices, dangers, or threats.

Contributor(s): Dr Federica Fragapane, Dr Marta Foresti, Dr Francesca Panero | The talk will explore the design process and motivations behind data visualization projects, characterized by different usage contexts, responding to various needs, and with differing levels of experimentation. It will focus on the visual languages used to shape information and stories and delve into how visual words in data visualizations can be alive and sometimes political.

Contributor(s): Dr Helen Sharman, Dr Jill Stuart, Dr Dimitrios Stroikos | What kind of possibilities does this new space age bring—and what dangers should we be worried about?Can any nation seize possession of the moon? Could it be mined? Is there junk in space? And whatever happened to that flag that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin planted on the moon fifty five years ago? To find out more, Maayan Arad speaks to Dr Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut in space who flew aboard the Soviet

With companies, like SpaceX or Blue Origin, getting into space exploration and the cost of launching rockets dropping, could we see a lot more people heading into space in the future?

Contributor(s): Quentin Noirfalisse, Dr Richard Perkins, Anneke Van Woudenberg | The decarbonisation of the transportation sector is a vital component in achieving the goals set out in the Paris Agreement. Consequently, governments around the world are pushing forward the transition away from combustion engine to electric vehicles. However, the production of electric vehicles necessitates the use of raw materials, such as cobalt. The movie sheds light into the human and environmental consequences of

Decarbonisation of the transportation sector is a vital component in achieving the goals set out in the Paris Agreement. Consequently, governments around the world are pushing forward the transition away from combustion engine to electric vehicles.

Contributor(s): Dr NIcholas Long | What is hypnosis? Can everyone be hypnotised? Does being able to hypnotise other people change how you see the world? LSE anthropologist Dr Nick Long spent over 16 months living and working with hypnotists in Indonesia to find out. Organised in conjunction with the "Faces of hypnosis" exhibition on display in LSE’s Atrium Gallery in November and December 2024, this talk explores the three most important things Nick discovered about hypnosis – and why they matter to

What is hypnosis? Can everyone be hypnotised? Does being able to hypnotise other people change how you see the world?